Simple Request
by Politics.and.Prose
Summary: Ryan and Kelsi are in New York. Troy and Gabriella are in San Francisco. Taylor and Chad are both in Boston. And Sharpay is alone in LA when the unthinkable happens. M to be safe. Might get graphic. Ryelsi, Troyella.
1. 01 Simple Request

**This was written for DC World as a reward for reviewing every chapter of **_**What Lies Ahead**_**. The challenge was to write a story where something bad happens to Sharpay and Ryan's reaction to it. It's to be **_**post-HSM**_** and can include the reactions of the Wildcats.**

**So, without further adieu, **_**Simple Request**_**.**

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"This is absolutely ridiculous," Sharpay muttered to herself as she sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Sometimes she really hated Los Angeles.

After graduating with honors from U of A, Sharpay Evans decided to try out Hollywood for a bit. Ryan was having somewhat decent success (though she would never admit that out loud) in New York and some annoying little voice in the back of her head told her to leave him be for now.

Besides, his wife was pregnant and she didn't need to be around just in case her sister-in-law popped early. There was _no way_ she would be caught dead babysitting her brother's kid.

Besides, if she took the baby out and it looked enough like Ryan, people would assume it was hers. And she _so_ didn't need that. Only two kinds of men try to hook up with single moms: single dads and losers. _No thank you_, she thought. _I prefer men of my own choosing_.

As someone beeped their horn behind her, she couldn't help but wonder why people were always so impatient in when stuck in traffic in big cities. L.A. was awful; Ryan said New York was pretty bad – he'd ridden a bicycle to and from work until Kelsi got pregnant – but was well used to navigating it by now; Taylor, who worked at a law firm in Boston, said it was pretty messy up there (especially in baseball season); and Zeke, her _weekend getaway_, claimed that Philadelphia was a mess most of the time too (not that she saw much of the City of Brotherly Love when she was out there).

Albuquerque was only bad – if it could be considered _bad_ – during rush hour. Sometimes.

Her phone rang and she sighed in frustration, not bothering to check the screen, as she picked it up. "It's about damn time you called me back, Shelly!" she shouted to who she thought was her agent. "I've called you about thirty times about that audition you want me to do. There's _no way_ I look old enough to play a teenager's mother!"

"Well," the voice on the other end chuckled, "I always told you if you frowned you'd get wrinkle lines …"

"Ryan!" the blonde girl exclaimed. "I didn't think it was you … isn't it, like, ten o'clock out there or something?"

"Yeah," Ryan replied. "But Kelsi says the baby's kicking and she can't sleep so we're taking a walk. She's on the phone with Gabriella trying to suss out what the issue could be. And as she was dialing I thought to myself, hey, I haven't talked to Shar in a while, wonder what she's doing."

"She's stuck in traffic," Sharpay replied with a scowl her brother couldn't see. "Again. How in the world do you get through it?"

"My bike," he said at the same time she said, "Your bike."

"Yeah," he continued with another chuckle. "Soon it won't be much of a problem though," he added with a hidden smile.

"Oh?" she asked absently and fluffed her hair when the car in her left lane moved up and a handsome man was now _stranded_ next to her. "And why's that?"

"Well, with the baby and all …"

"Hold on, Ry. Excuse me!" she called out to the good-looking man in the silver Mustang. "Do you happen to know what the hold up is?"

"I'm pretty sure they're filming something up ahead and have the road blocked off."

"Damn," she muttered. "Ry, I have to go."

"But, Shar … I haven't …"

"It's been great talking to you," she assured him fakely.

"Shar, I'm trying to tell you …"

"Buh-bye!" she said cheerfully before disconnecting. "So, what do _you _do?" she asked Mr. Tall Tan and Handsome.

"I'm an actor," he smirked while striking as enticing of a pose as possible while stuck in traffic.

"Fabulous," she smiled and cutely wrinkled her nose. "I'm Sharpay …"

On the other side of the country, Ryan joined his wife on the small park bench across from their apartment building and put his arm around her.

"How's your sister?" she asked as soon as she disconnected with Gabriella.

"Same as always," her husband replied with a sigh. "Only interested in talking until her next flavor of the week pulls up. Then it's _great talking to you _and _really, Ry, I miss you like crazy_," he mocked in a high-pitched voice.

"She did not tell you she missed you like crazy," Kelsi laughed before wincing and rubbing a calming hand over her swollen belly.

"Baby's not happy?" he asked with a frown before mimicking her motions and rubbing his hand over the taut flesh of her stomach.

"She's restless," Kelsi sighed. "Gab thinks it could have been the orange juice. She said she had the same issue when she was pregnant with Hunter."

"_Hush little baby, don't say a word_," Ryan began singing in a sweet, soft voice. "_Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird … and if that mocking bird doesn't sing, Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring …_"

Kelsi smiled as her husband sang to their two-months-away-daughter and the baby settled immediately. "She's going to be her Daddy's girl," the brunette whispered.

"Just like her mother," Ryan laughed as he took his wife's hand and led her home. "You need to get some rest. "Taylor Swift is coming into the studio to record and you need to be ready in case something happens with the composition."

"Right," Kelsi yawned as he led her into their half-packed apartment.

"Go get into bed," he whispered. "I'll make sure everything's locked and turned off and whatever else. And I'll take Roscoe out one more time."

"Mmm. I love you," she whispered as she pecked her husband on the lips and shuffled into the bedroom.

Ryan shut the windows down low – Kelsi _hated_ being too cold at night – and looked down to their basset hound, Roscoe. "One more time?" The dog tilted his head at Ryan and let out a small _woof_. "Okay. And don't give me that look, you know the cops are out. Your mommy would kill me if I got a ticket," he added as he grabbed the leash. He sighed when the dog looked up at him with a sorrowful expression. "Well I guess I'll bring it with me and if someone says something we'll go from there. Deal?"

"Ryan? Are you negotiating with Roscoe again?"

"Uh," he said, slightly flustered. "N-no! Chad called and I was talking to him …"

"Right," his wife replied from the bedroom. "But that means you and I will have a serious conversation when you get home about putting leashes on our friends."

"Damnit," he muttered. "Let's go."

Twenty minutes (and a firm warning) later, Ryan and Roscoe re-entered the apartment. "You're not sleeping on the bed tonight," he told the dog seriously. "It's just me and Kelsi."

"Ryan …" the sleepy voice of his wife called.

"Coming, Kels," he replied. "Go sleep in your own bed," he whispered to the dog with a pointed finger before heading to the bedroom he shared with Kelsi and shutting the door.

"Leave it open a crack," Kelsi mumbled from under the covers. "Roscoe might want to come in."

Ryan stared at her, mouth agape, before muttering angrily to himself and cracking open the door for his wife's dog. Roscoe darted (as fast as a basset hound _can _dart) into the room and climbed his (stupid) stairs and cuddled right next to Kelsi.

"Hey, boy," she whispered, her voice thick with sleep. "Make sure you leave room for daddy."

"Right," Ryan mumbled before stripping to his boxers and climbing into bed. "How generous."

--

Ryan was startled awake by his ringing phone. "Who? What?" he asked muzzily.

"Ry? Get the phone," his wife mumbled.

Ryan yawned, ran a hand over his face, then reached onto his night stand and grabbed the phone. "Hello?" he asked thickly.

"Yes, is this Ryan Evans?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yeah," he replied. "Listen, it's …" he squinted at his bedside clock. "It's three a.m. Can this wait?"

"Do you know someone by the name of Sharpay Evans?"

"She's my sister," he sighed. "Has she gotten herself arrested or something?"

"Mr. Evans, this is Sergeant Richard Davis. Your sister was brutally beaten and raped. Her voice box is shattered and all she keeps doing is indicating to call you. How fast can you get to West Hollywood Hospital?"

Ryan was up and out of bed in less than a second. "I'll get on the phone with the airlines. I have to fly in from New York. I can be there in a little more than three hours. I'll be sending a family representative, his name is Troy Bolton. Tell him everything when he gets there. He'll be coming in from San Francisco. Have someone at the airport to collect him and his family. And keep me updated on any changes. You have my number."

Ryan disconnected and shook Kelsi lightly to try and wake her up. "Kelsi, baby, get up. I have to go. Something's happened to Shar."

"What is it?" she asked as she sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"She was attacked. Raped and beaten. She can't talk. She just kept indicating to call me. I have to get out there."

"I want to come too," she said as she struggled to get out of bed.

"Kelsi …"

"You tried to shut me out when your dad had a heart attack, Ryan Evans. Don't you dare try to do it now. Sharpay's my sister too."

"Can you fly when you're almost eight months pregnant?" he asked unsurely, though he began throwing some of her own clothes in a suitcase as well.

"Let them try and stop me," the (not so) small composer said as she picked up the phone and dialed out. "Yes," she said after a few moments. "I need two tickets – well, and a dog ticket – EWR to LAX. Now. Yes. Fine. Charge it to Ryan Evans. Yes. Yes." She looked over at her husband. "We have fifty minutes to get to Newark."

"We can do it," he responded. "No one will be in the tunnel at this hour." He paused. "We're bringing Roscoe?"

"Dogs are incredibly helpful after traumatic events," his wife said haughtily. "Get his leash and his carrier. I'll meet you downstairs. I have to pee," she informed him as she grabbed a pair of sweats and walked into the bathroom. "Get a cab that won't mind taking Roscoe too!"

"Right," Ryan said absently before dialing Troy.

"Hello?" a sweet voice picked up.

"Gabby. It's Ryan."

"Hey. Is everything okay?" she asked.

"No. Something's happened to Shar. I don't have time to get into it but I need you and Troy to get on a plane to LA now. Put it on my frequent flyers account. Charge it to me. Just get down there. Kels and I are heading to the airport now."

"Ryan, what happened?"

"I don't know the whole story … c'mon, Roscoe, let's go … but the officer told me she was beaten and raped. This person shattered her voice box so she can't talk. She wanted them to call me."

"Oh my gosh!" she gasped.

"We don't have time to waste, Gabby," he said more harshly than he wanted to. "Please just get to her. Kels and I will be there as soon as possible."

"We're on our way," she told him.

"Thank you," he sighed. "I told them Troy was a representative of the family."

"Okay. We'll see you in a few hours."

"Text me if anything happens. I don't care what they say to me. Okay?"

"Okay," Gabby whispered. "I'll get Hunter ready to go and have Troy call the airlines."

"Thank you. I'll see you soon. Just … please look after her for me," he whispered.

"We will. And Ryan?"

"Yeah?"

"We love you."

"I love you guys too," he said before he disconnected and hailed a cab who was, thankfully, willing to take the dog.

"Where to?"

"As soon as my wife gets here, Newark Liberty. As fast as you can."

"You got it," the guy said as Ryan helped Kelsi into the car and shut the door.

--

"I'm Troy Bolton," the harried young man said as he approached the front desk at West Hollywood Hospital. "I'm here with my wife to see Sharpay Evans. I'm a representative of the Evans family."

"Yes, sir. Miss Evans is currently being moved into ICU," the older woman informed him. "How old is your son?"

"He's nearly two," Troy replied. "But he's fast asleep. He won't be a problem."

The woman nodded her head. "Go on up to the seventh floor and have a seat in the family room. There're concessions available there."

"Thank you," Gabriella said softly. "Is there anything you can tell us?"

"The doctor will be with you shortly, Mrs. Bolton. I don't have any information other than her room."

"Thank you," Troy said as he shifted Hunter to his other shoulder and grabbed Gabriella's hand. "Let's get up there."

"Should we call anyone else?" she asked as the elevator doors closed.

"I think Ryan's probably taken care of that. I'm sure he's already called his parents. They might be here before they are if they can get the jet up and running quickly. Vance needed a vacation so they headed to Hawaii."

"Right. Okay," she said as she took a deep breath. "Sharpay's going to be okay, right?" she asked as she looked up into his eyes.

"I don't know," he responded quietly, seriously. "I sure hope so though," he continued as they moved from the elevator and towards the family room. Troy settled Hunter on a couch and laid his coat over the small boy before checking in with the nurse. "We're here as representatives of the Evans family. For Sharpay."

The young girl nodded and informed him that Dr. Morreau would be with them shortly.

"What now?" Gabriella asked as her husband sat beside her and took her hand.

"Now we wait," he said quietly.

--

"How is she?" Ryan asked immediately as he and Kelsi barged into the family room outside the ICU. Roscoe trotted along behind them, having been certified as a therapy dog prior to his adoption. Kelsi had never been so happy to have rescued him than before tonight.

"Oh, Ryan," Gabriella said as she stood and wrapped her arms around him.

"The doctors say she's doing well. No internal bleeding, no brain or spinal swelling. She's bruised and had some residual blood left in her hair but she's awake."

Ryan quickly kissed his wife, checked in, and left for Sharpay's room. He tried to prepare himself for what he was going to see.

"Hey," he whispered as he saw his sister's eyes widen when he walked into the room. "I would ask how you're doing but that would be stupid."

She shot him a look that really required no words.

"I know," he said softly as he sat beside her on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Another similar look.

"You're going to have to cooperate if we're going to get through this, Shar. I know you're hurting and you're embarrassed, but I'm your brother and you need me right now. Mom and Dad will be flying in later today. Kelsi and Roscoe – yes, she insisted on bringing him – are out with Troy and Gabriella …"

She made another face.

"They were closest and I couldn't bear the thought of you sitting in here alone. Which one spent more time sitting in here with you?" He could tell by the look on her face that it was Gabriella. "Please tell me she didn't spend most of her time in here crying."

Sharpay rolled her eyes and shook her head in the negative. She was about to try and talk when her throat seared in pain and she made a pouting face before using her hand to mimic the way Gabriella just talked her ear off.

"Did she say anything interesting?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood a bit before he started with the hard questions.

She used her hands to simulate a pregnant belly.

"She's pregnant again?" Ryan asked in shock. Just last week Troy told him they were going to wait until Hunter was out of his Terrible Twos before trying again.

She shook her head in the negative before holding up her hands about five inches from the sides of her ears.

"_Chad's_ pregnant?" he burst out. At her look, he rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. His … girlfriend?" Sharpay shrugged. "Planned?" She shook her head again. "Is she trying to trap him in a relationship? I mean, the way he was talking to me it sounded as if he was waiting for Maddie to get back from England …" She touched her finger to her nose and nodded once. "So she's just a girl Chad picked up because he and Maddie agreed to break while she was in England for a year and, of course, he couldn't _not_ sleep with her and now she's pregnant?" She touched her nose again. "Are we sure she's just not _saying_ she is to try and get a ring out of it? She's an attention seeker, I'd imagine. There are lots of women like that who would stoop so low to get an NBA player in trouble. And I can't imagine Taylor would let him run off like that. She actually _likes_ Maddie."

Sharpay gave him another look and rolled her eyes. It was incredibly frustrating being unable to talk; _it was more frustrating that being stuck in traffic_, she thought. She wasn't in much pain – aside from her throat – and she was just _itching_ to talk to someone. She'd always been very vocal and now she found herself unable to say _anything_. She was ready to rip her hair out after only about five hours.

"Tell me who it was," Ryan implored. She shot him another look. "Can you write, at least?" She held up her broken left hand. "Have I ever heard of him?" he asked with a sigh. She shook her head. "Did you know him well?" She shook her head again. "How long have you known him?" She sighed, looked a little sheepish, and help up one finger. "Just today?" Another nod. "And you were going to sleep with him?" Ryan nearly screeched.

Sharpay started shaking her head violently. She wasn't planning on sleeping with him. She wasn't like that and it kind of hurt that Ryan thought that. But it _looked_ bad, she knew, so she had to work extra hard to try and explain it to him. She chewed on her bottom lip before inspiration struck.

She snapped the fingers on her right hand at him before sitting up more fully in the bed. She swung her hair out of the way and looked into his eyes.

"Charades?" he asked. "Should I get the others, just in case you do some crazy girl thing that I don't understand?" She made a face and he excused himself to get Kelsi and Gabriella. When he came back with the two women, he was a little shocked to see his sister reach for his wife and hold her hand. The two stared at each other for a few moments, some kind of silent conversation happening, before Kelsi nodded and moved to Ryan. "You and I are going to have a nice conversation about you jumping to really unflattering conclusions, Mr. Evans."

"How in the world did …"

"Never mind that," she responded before settling in front of her husband and wrapping his arms around her so she could lean back against him. "Go ahead, Shar."

Sharpay ignored the pain in her throat and took a deep breath before beginning her story, finally _truly_ thankful for her acting ability. She deliberately ignored the fact that she may never be able to act on stage again.


	2. 02 Simple Request

The doctors had released Sharpay about a week after the incident. There was still minor bruising but the major issue was her inability to speak. She was learning to sign but, so far, she seemed to like the inappropriate gestures best.

And it was really starting to annoy Kelsi.

Two weeks after her release from the hospital Sharpay was going stir crazy. She wanted to get out and _do_ something. She couldn't go to any auditions, obviously, because she couldn't speak. But her brother was hovering worse than her mother had when she and Daddy were there.

"Shar? Want me to get you a milkshake? I have to head out to get some apple juice for Kels. The baby's been really restless and giving her problems today." Ryan sighed as he looked at his sister's expression. "Get used to it, Shar. We're here until you can make it on your own." He watched her expression again. "You can't answer the phone and the doctors are still hopeful they can give you some kind of treatment to get your voice back but the tissue damage has to be repaired first. And you should really learn to sign. You're going to get wrinkles if you keep making faces like that at me." She gestured rudely. "Yeah, not what I meant, sis. But keep working on it," he added cheerfully. He placed a kiss on her head and promised he'd be back in thirty minutes before walking out the door.

--

"Is it terrible living with her again?" Chad Danforth asked as he walked into grocery store behind Ryan.

"Chad? What the heck are you doing here?" Ryan asked with a bright smile as he turned and embraced the NBA star.

"Playing the Clippers tomorrow night. I thought I'd come to town a night early and check up on you, Kelsi and the princess," Chad replied. "Kelsi should be about ready to give birth, shouldn't she?"

"She looks like she could go any day now," Ryan replied with a nod of his head. "The baby's giving her problems today – she won't calm down. Kels is sure she's been kicking non-stop since one this morning. Poor thing doesn't know what to do. She's three thousand miles from her doctor and she just doesn't trust anyone out here."

"She's got to go somewhere, dude," Chad replied as he grabbed some Pedialite. "For Kelsi. Hannah used to drink this all the time when she was pregnant with Milo."

"Does it _do_ anything?"

Chad paused and read over the label before proudly beaming and saying, "It increases electrolytes."

Ryan stared at him for a moment, blinking a few times, before sighing and putting it into the basket. "Couldn't hurt," he mumbled.

"Hormones?"

"Not as bad as I thought," Ryan responded truthfully. "She was really … bad … around the sixth month but, other than that, she's been just fine. I just … she wants her own doctor but she refuses to leave Shar. And it's not like I couldn't afford to bring him out here but I don't think he would. Seems like he has a lot of patients …"

"Of course he would," Chad laughed. "You've got one of the best obstetricians in New York City, don't you? Only the best for your wife and kid."

"Speaking of kids," Ryan said as he blatantly ignored the friendly jibe at his wealth, "Gabby told Kelsi that you're going to be a daddy …"

"Ha!" Chad laughed as he threw some chocolate bars ("For Kelsi!") into the basket. "Baby's not mine," he replied. "I went with Mel to the OB and he narrowed down the conception date. I was on a two week road trip and she sure as hell wasn't with me."

"Wow … should I be sorry?" Ryan asked, clearly not knowing what to say.

"Not for that," Chad said softly as the two men collected when they'd set out for – well, Ryan hadn't _set out_ for Chad, but his friend had obviously asked where he was going and met him there – and got in line to pay. "But I told Maddie what happened and … well, let's just say she's expressed an interest in staying in London indefinitely."

"It'll work out," Ryan said sympathetically. "Maddie's a great girl, an _understanding _girl."

"Right. I took a cab," Chad said as he changed the topic. "Ride?"

"Sure," Ryan replied. "Just have to pick up Shar's new Blackberry on the way. She's not too fond of signing and Kelsi's getting really annoyed with Shar's _over _dramatics. She acts everything out like we're two years old."

"Your sister? Overreacting? I never thought I'd see the day," Chad smiled before climbing into the passenger seat of Sharpay's car. "How can you drive this thing?"

Ryan shrugged as he put the car in gear and took off, "If it means I don't need a rental then I'll drive just about anything."

Chad rolled his eyes but shrugged in acceptance nonetheless. "So. Blackberry for Princess?"

"Shar's been doing nothing but annoying Kelsi, which is making her blood pressure rise, which is _not good_ for the baby or her. I figured if I got her something she could write on or text with things would get easier."

The darker man nodded before settling in for the ride.

--

"Sharpay, please. I know you're having trouble with the whole not being able to talk thing, but your gestures aren't helping," Kelsi told her sister-in-law. She then frowned when Sharpay made a rude gesture. "I'm fairly certain you don't have the ability to allow that to happen and if you did, I need to have a conversation with Zeke about his strange obsessions." Another rude gesture. "I'm too pregnant to do that. Now please, for the love of Andrew Lloyd Weber, just _sign_ to me what you want." She paused as she watched Sharpay sign with letters as opposed to using the gestures and full-word signs she was supposed to be learning. "I'm not going out and ordering a filet mignon for you."

Sharpay sighed and signed that she would have some soup then. _Stupid bitch_, she thought to herself. _I wish she would just go back to New York and leave me the hell alone. Ryan and I could get by fine without her._

Because she knew she wouldn't be able to get along without her brother. She wouldn't admit it to anyone but she was afraid. She didn't sleep at night anymore; she would nap when Ryan was in the house. She wasn't even remotely comfortable around Troy, though she hid it well, and she was absolutely against any other males coming around. She knew Danforth would be in town for the next couple of days and resigned herself to the knowledge that he would be sure to drop by at some point. But other than them, no other men were allowed near her.

She'd calmly explained to Kelsi that she wanted an all-female medical team but refused to say anything more than that. She knew her sister-in-law was on to her but she couldn't care less. It wasn't as if she could verbally confirm or deny anything anyway.

The police had wanted her to meet with a shrink once a week just so she could work through some unresolved issues concerning the rape. She _hated_ the idea. She could just talk to Ryan about it. But, then again, she didn't think telling her brother about having sex was normal. She _could_ tell Kelsi, but she wasn't in the mood to watch the smaller girl shift and try to get comfortable because of her big, hulking stomach. She would _never_ tell Gabriella and she didn't like Taylor at all. And, sure, she had girlfriends, but they were all dumber than dirt and she had no interest in having to repeat the details over and over again.

So she just kept it to herself. The psychologist's card was somewhere on her dresser, hidden so her brother wouldn't get any _brilliant ideas_ and make the phone call for her. She didn't need to talk about what happened with anyone. It was all in the past. It was done now. She could just forget it and move on.

Or so she thought. That was the night the flashbacks began.

--

_It was more graphic snippets than anything_, Sharpay would later remember.

_Hands. Torn clothing. Dark hair. Malicious smile. Hands groping. Nails scratching. Fast heartbeats._

_His hand covered her mouth as he whispered in her ear that it would only hurt more if she fought and screamed._

_She kicked at him and he slapped her before ripping off her skirt._

_He groped her roughly before biting down on her soft breast._

_His hand was still over her mouth and he was sitting on her thrashing legs._

_She tossed her head and fought but he hit her until she was dizzy._

_He told her to be a good girl. If she was, he told her, she'd be rewarded._

_She fought harder._

Just as the man in her dream tore off her underwear, Sharpay sat up with a noiseless scream, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself but nothing was working. She couldn't breathe and she couldn't scream. She slowly, shakily, got up from bed and slowly trudged into the living room where her brother was supposed to be asleep on the couch. But, to her surprise, Kelsi was sitting up, hands on her stomach and tears gently falling from her cheeks and onto her protruding stomach.

Sharpay frowned slightly before placing a hand on Kelsi's shoulder and cocking her head in an inquisitive manner.

"Oh! Sharpay!" Kelsi whispered loudly as she stood from the couch. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

Sharpay shook her head and motioned for Kelsi to sit back down. When they were both situated on the couch, Sharpay cocked her head again and indicated for Kelsi to tell her what was wrong.

"It's nothing," she said softly. "I just … I don't think Ryan wants me here anymore."

Sharpay must have looked really shocked because Kelsi continued with, "It's just … he's really tired because he's trying to take care of both of us and you're the priority, I know, and you _should_ be … it's just …" she laughed mirthlessly "hard to realize that my husband doesn't want to deal with trying to take care of me. It's really stressing him out." She indicated the packed suitcase in the corner. "I'm going to go back to New York. I'm leaving Roscoe with you though. He likes it here and I know you like cuddling with him." She heard the sound of a car horn and sighed before pushing herself off the couch. "Get better soon, Shar," she whispered as she pulled her sister-in-law into a hug. "Once the baby's able to travel, she and I will come visit you and Ryan."

Without another word, Kelsi walked out the front door and climbed into the cab.

Sharpay selfishly decided she could wait until morning to let her brother know.

--

"Kels? Kelsi? Where are you?" Ryan asked loudly as he searched the rooms of Sharpay's townhouse. "Kels, this isn't funny!" His phone buzzed and he saw a text message from his sister. He started panicking even more when he read what she'd written. "_She's gone_."

Ryan searched the house and found Sharpay at the dining room table. "What do you mean by that? _She's gone_? Did she go into labor?" Sharpay shook her head. "She go for a walk?" Same answer. "Then where did she go?" Sharpay cocked her head to the side, thinking for a moment, before striking the pose of the Statue of Liberty. "She went back to New York?!"

Sharpay quickly grabbed her cell phone and started typing away. A moment later she held it out to Ryan.

_Said she was burden. U shld take care of me. Wnt to NY. Will visit when baby can come._

"What?!" Ryan screamed before grabbing the phone. He dialed Kelsi's cell number but it went straight to voicemail. His home number did the same thing. "Oh my God," he whispered. "How … oh my God. She's … she left. She didn't tell anyone …" he muttered to himself. Then he rounded on his sister with narrowed eyes. "Did you know she left?"

Sharpay stared at him without moving. "Shar, answer me. Did you know?" She bit her lip and sighed before reluctantly nodding her head. "You knew and you didn't try to stop her?" She put on an annoyed expression and pointed to her throat. "You don't have to be able to talk to stop someone from walking out a door. And yes, Sharpay, I mean you could have physically restrained her." Sharpay held out her hands to indicate a pregnant belly. "I didn't say you should have pushed her down the stairs. I meant you could have come and gotten me so she couldn't go. _I_ could have talked to her."

The young woman crossed her arms huffily and stared at her brother. "Don't give me that look, Shar. I just … my wife just walked out on me."

She pulled out her phone and typed before handing it to him.

_Actually, she left around 1 am. If that helps_.

"No, Sharpay. It doesn't help," he replied as he resumed his pacing. "Wait. What were you doing up at one in the morning?"

Sharpay chewed on her lip, carefully considering what she was about to do. She knew it was low, even for her, but she couldn't let him walk out the door too. She knew she should have stopped Kelsi from leaving but she could survive without her; she couldn't deal with any of it without Ryan by her side. She opened her phone once more and sent the message to her brother.

_Flashbacks_. _I woke up in the middle. It was bad._

Ryan immediately softened as he read his sister's words. He sighed before wrapping her in a hug. When he released her she took a deep breath and signed _I need you_. Ryan nodded slowly before wrapping her in his arms once more. "I'm not going anywhere."

She briefly felt guilty but knew that having Ryan with her was the only thing keeping her sane. Without him, she seriously doubted she would make it through a day.

--

Kelsi stared at her cell phone as she sat outside the airport in San Francisco. She'd planned on going home to New York but she couldn't bring herself to do it. _Besides_, she reasoned internally, _our stuff isn't there anymore anyway_.

She and Ryan had made the decision to take some serious time off from work and concentrate on their growing family. Vance had been after Ryan for ages to take over running Lava Springs and Kelsi had admitted she wouldn't mind raising their children back in New Mexico.

So, the two of them had saved enough money to buy a small house with three bedrooms just outside Albuquerque. They hadn't told anyone yet. They were planning on sending out those silly little "We've Moved!" cards and just let everyone show up on their doorstep. Ryan had told his father he would come to town for a board meeting shortly before the baby was due. Kelsi had already started asking about renting a building so she could teach piano lessons.

She briefly wondered if she should call the moving company and tell them to forget it. But she figured they were probably at least half-way to New Mexico by now. She would just have to go and meet them in a couple of days. She was sure she could get _someone_ to help her out.

She sighed heavily before pulling out her cell phone. She saw that Ryan must have called her but she couldn't bring herself to talk to him right now. She didn't know whether it was because she was ashamed of herself for acting so dramatically or mad at him for not helping her out when she needed him. _It was probably more of the first_, she admitted to herself.

She slowly dialed a number that she had become all-too-familiar with during the last couple of months. She figured it was about 8 so he should be out of bed by now.

A voice picked up on the other line and she sighed shakily, trying to ward off the tears. "Troy?" she asked with a wavering voice. "It's Kelsi. I need you …"

"_What's wrong? Did something happen to Sharpay?_"

"N-no …" she sniffled. "I – I'm at the airport. _Your_ airport. Could you give me directions to your house from here? So I can tell a cab."

"_You don't need a cab, Kels_," Troy responded softly. "_I'll come get you_."

"It's just for a couple of days," she assured him. "Until the movers get to the new house."

"_New house_?"

"Ryan and I are moving back to Albuquerque. We both decided to take some time off with the baby. He's planning on running the country club and I'm going to give piano lessons. Well, that _was_ the plan," she responded. "I don't know anymore."

"_Is he there with you_?" Troy asked.

"He probably doesn't even know I'm gone. Sharpay needs him right now. I was just getting in the way. Me being there just adds stress to Ryan."

On the other end of the phone, Troy rolled his eyes. Gabriella was the same way when she was pregnant with Hunter. "Which terminal are you at, Playmaker?"

"_Three_," she responded. "_But I really can take a cab_."

"I'll be there in thirty minutes. Hang tight," he replied before clicking off the phone.

"Who was that?" Gabriella asked as she walked into the room holding Hunter. She pecked her husband on the cheek before placing their son in his highchair.

"Kelsi," Troy responded as he ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh.

"Is Sharpay okay?" Gabriella asked immediately.

"It's more of Kelsi not being okay," he responded. "She walked out on them because she felt like she was getting in the way. She … she says Sharpay needs Ryan right now and her being there is adding stress on him."

"So where is she?"

"At the airport."

"In LA?" she asked.

"In San Fran," he sighed. "She says they bought a house in New Mexico and she only needs to stay until the movers get the stuff in the house."

"Wow. Lots of things happening in their lives right now."

"Yeah," he said with another sigh. "I'm going to take Little Man with me to get her," he added and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll give him some Cheerios in the car."

"Drive safely," she told him as he took their son and headed out the door.

She nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment before picking up the phone and dialing Sharpay's home number.

"_Hello? Kelsi?_" Ryan asked frantically as he answered the phone.

"Not quite," Gabriella replied. "But Troy's on his way to get her from the airport."

"_Thank God_," he exhaled. "_Did she tell you why she was there?_"

"She told Troy, Ryan. And I don't think you're going to want to hear the answer," she told him quietly.

"_Just … is she leaving me?_"

"No, I don't think so," Gabriella replied. "She thinks she's stressing you out and is being too much trouble and that you should focus on Sharpay."

"_Damnit_," Ryan swore. "_I don't know what to do. I can't leave Shar but I'll be damned if I lose Kelsi over this_."

Both were quiet for a few moments before Gabriella gasped. "I've got it!"

"_What_?" Ryan asked eagerly.

"Call Zeke."

"_Perfect_. _I'll call you when I'm leaving for the airport. It'll probably be late tonight if Zeke can get here that fast_."

"Ryan, I hate to be Captain Obvious … but doesn't your father own a private jet?"

"_You're brilliant_," he replied. "_I'll call you in a couple of hours. Tell Kelsi I love her. Please. Just … make sure she knows I love her and I'm coming for her._"

"Will do," she responded before hitting the end button and hanging up the phone.


	3. AUTHORS NOTE : SORRY

Just a brief note – I was about ½ through Chapter 3 and the power went out. It didn't do an auto recovery … I'm going to try to work through getting it back where it was. *sigh* It WAS good, I promise. I hope I can live up to it …

It might take a while, though, as we found a wounded fox behind our office and now we have to wait for animal control and I was the one nominated to deal with the lovely fellows … but I am going to do my best to get Chapter 3 up today before I leave.

SORRY!


	4. 03 Simple Request

It was a moments like this when Ryan was exceedingly glad that his sister didn't have the ability to talk. Though he was sure if looks could kill his wife would already be a widow. "It's just for a couple of days," he responded to her look. "I need to get Kelsi back." Sharpay put her hands on her hips. "She left because she thinks she's been getting in the way." He didn't even bother to look up from his packing. "Don't give me that look, Shar. I feel like a real ass for making her think that in the first place."

_Damnit_, Sharpay thought. _This isn't turning out the way it was supposed to. He's supposed to realize that I need him more and let Kelsi fend for herself._

"Stop looking at me like that. You're going to need to get used to life without me eventually. I can't stay here forever." She gave him a pouty look. "Shar, c'mon," he said with a slight chuckle. "Kelsi's going to have the baby any day. We bought a _house_, for heaven's sake." At her confused look he explained, "Dad's been after me for years to take over at Lava Springs. With the new baby and everything, Kels and I decided that moving back to Albuquerque, at least for a little while, wouldn't be such a bad idea. You're the only one who knows right now. The movers are already on their way to the new house – it's just outside Old Town." At her arched brow he laughed. "Yes, Kelsi and I can absolutely afford a house out there so stop being a snob."

The doorbell rang and her eyes widened. _Who in the hell is that?_ When Ryan didn't bother to acknowledge the sound, she huffed and stomped out of the room. _This had better be some kind of special present he ordered because he's deserting me_, she petulantly thought before flinging the door open. _Zeke_, she thought as her eyes widened and her mouth formed his name, though no sound was coming out.

"Hey, beautiful," he said softly, sadly, as he held out his left hand, which was holding a plate of cookies. His right hand was holding his duffle bag.

She promptly slammed the door in his face and stomped back to Ryan's room. With her hands on her hips, she simply stared at him.

"I take it Zeke's here," he said with a smile as he stood up and flung his bag over his shoulder. "Better be nice to him, Shar, because he came all the way out here to make sure you were okay. Between you and me, I think he's still in love with you. And I don't care," he continued, completely disregarding the warning on her face, "whether you'll admit it or not, but I _know_ you still love him. So maybe you should take these couple of days and work out whatever it is between you." She haughtily cocked her hip and pointed to her throat. "Oh, Shar," he chuckled, "since when do you need words to convey what you're feeling to Zeke?" She opened her mouth in indignation but he simply kissed her on the forehead and exited the bedroom.

When she followed him she saw that Zeke was already on the couch. He'd put on a replay of the Celtic/Clippers game and was cheering for Chad.

_He's come a long way since high school_, she thought as she watched Zeke completely at home in an Evans-centric environment. _He used to be so intimidated. What changed?_

"Okay. I assume you have Troy and Gabriella's number. That's where I'll be. As you know, Kelsi's there now. I'm going to go assure my wife I love her, woo her and bring her back. Unless she goes into labor while we're up there. Then I'm calling Taylor so she can tell me what to do," Ryan told his friend.

Zeke laughed and stood up. "No problem, Ry. If you need anything, call. I'll do the same." He shot a look at Sharpay before turning back to her brother. "Anything I should know?"

"She started getting flashbacks last night," Ryan told him despite his sister waving her arms trying to dissuade him. "I would stay in the room with her – she has a chaise in there – and just make sure she's okay. She can't talk – no sound at all. The doctors are supposed to be calling either today or tomorrow to let us know whether or not she needs surgery or if her voice will come back on its own. The last prognosis was that the voice box was healing itself."

Ryan shook Zeke's hand before kissing his sister on the forehead. "Don't forget to feed Roscoe." At her look he sighed and turned to Zeke. "Roscoe is Kelsi's dog." He heard the dog whine a bit from his perch on one of Sharpay's chairs. "Fine. Roscoe is _our_ dog. He'll let you know when he wants to go out. Make sure you put a chain on him. He'll try to negotiate but don't give in."

"Uh, Ryan …?" Zeke questioned confusedly and Sharpay just gave him another of her looks. "Right. I'll keep that in mind."

"Okay. I have to go. Flight leaves in forty five minutes." And then he was out the door.

_Off to play white knight_, Sharpay thought bitterly. _Abandoning me when I need him most. God, I wish Kelsi never took him away. I hope she doesn't even want him back. _Her eyes grew wide as she tried to think of ways to get Kelsi to not want to be married to her brother anymore.

"Stop that," a strong voice said from her left. She whipped her head around to see Zeke staring at her. "Just stop. Don't even think about it." She scrunched her eyebrows and tried to make herself look innocent. "You may be able to fool others but I've been studying you since the seventh grade. Don't even attempt to think about ways to break up Kelsi and Ryan. Your brother _loves_ her. And he loves you too," he added as she opened her mouth in indignation and place her fists on her hips. "And he'll always be there for you. But he can't always be _here_ for you. He's got a family, Shar. He and Kelsi are having a _baby_ for goodness sake. Do you really want him to lose everything he's worked so hard for? I mean, think about it, Shar. They broke up at the end of senior year because you told Kelsi that your brother didn't really want her and he was trying to figure out how to break up with her." He looked away for a minute before making sure his eyes connected with hers. "She spent _days_ at my house trying to figure out what she'd done wrong. She's insecure, Sharpay, even after all this time. And despite how you've treated her in the past and, it seems, the present, she still wants what's best for you. Maybe it's time for you to want what's best for her. And I know you've been through something _horrible_. I _know_ that. But you can't keep taking advantage of Ryan's love for you. One day you're going to have to let someone else become number one in your life …" he finished quietly. He gave her a peck on the forehead and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm going to shower and then we're going for a walk."

Sometimes she _really_ wished he'd broken her arm and not her voice box.

--

As soon as the plane landed and connected to the terminal Ryan pulled out his cell phone and dialed Troy's house. When there was no answer he dialed Troy's cell phone.

"_Hello? Ryan?"_

"Yeah. It's me. I tried the house. No one answered. You guys out on a walk or something? That usually makes Kelsi feel better."

"_Or something,_" Troy muttered. "_Gabriella and Kelsi are at St. Mary's. It's the closest adult hospital to our house_."

"Is Kelsi okay? What happened? How's the baby? How long has she been in there?" Ryan fired off rapidly, suddenly quite panicked.

"_Kelsi went into labor about three hours ago. I came straight to the airport to wait for you. Kels said she landed in terminal three so that's where I am."_

Ryan looked out the plane window and blissfully saw a large three on the side of the building. "Yeah. I'm there. I'm going to leave my bags – I can call the airport later to get them. How far from the airport to the hospital?"

"_Less than thirty minutes if we hit the traffic right_," Troy replied. "_She, uh, she was asking for you_."

"Did you tell her I was on my way?" he asked. "Excuse me," he said to a middle-aged man. "My wife is in labor. Is there any way …?" In a made-for-the-big-screen moment, the large man told everyone to move out of the way so the _little blonde guy_ could get off the plane; his wife was having a baby. "Thank you!" Ryan called as he rushed off the aircraft. "Okay, Troy, what kind of car am I looking for?"

"_Dark green Range Rover_," the former basketball star said.

"That's an ugly car," Ryan replied before rushing out into the chilly San Francisco air. "See you!" he shouted before hanging up. "Thanks," he said when he got into the car and pulled on his seatbelt. "I'll pay for tolls and whatever else you need. Just, please, get me to Kelsi."

"Don't worry about it, Evans," Troy replied.

After a few minutes of silence on the freeway, Troy finally couldn't hold it in anymore. "I have half a mind to kick your butt right about now," he replied mildly before glancing in the rearview to make sure Hunter was still asleep.

"I don't blame you. If it were physically possible I would do it myself. I didn't … I let her down, Troy. And it's not the first time. I shouldn't … I never _mean_ to cater to Sharpay. It's just been … I've done it for _years_ and it seems like I don't know how _not_ to. But I'm hoping that Zeke will be able to take the load of now."

"You brought in Zeke?" Troy asked in an astonished tone.

"Gabriella's brilliant idea," the blonde replied. "And I think he's done being Sharpay's beck and call boy. I think he's ready to step up and tell her how it is, what he wants … and I think now, more than ever, is when she needs to hear that all she needs to do is say the word and he'll be there every day, rain or shine, good or bad."

"After the … _rape,_" he whispered the word, "you think she needs an ultimatum?"

"Not an ultimatum," Ryan quickly assured. "She just needs to know that I'm not the only one she can call. Zeke _wants_ her to love him. If she said the word he'd leave Philly so fast they wouldn't even know he was leaving until after the wedding. But she's afraid to commit … and I don't know what else to do to make her see that it's _amazing_ being in love and being married. You know, she wouldn't talk to Kelsi for over a month when she found out she was pregnant. At first I thought it was because Shar always assumed we would be waiting until the two of us retired from big-time show business. But as the months rolled on and Kelsi's pregnancy was more pronounced, Sharpay kept calling more. She wanted me to visit. She wanted vacations … And then it hit me. She wasn't angry at Kelsi for being pregnant, per se; she was angry at Kelsi because she was giving me another person to love and she thought that meant a little bit of my love and attention would be taken from here and given to the baby."

"That _does_ sound an awfully lot like something Sharpay would think," Troy agreed. "And I assume that's why she was all over you when you and Kels were staying with her."

"Absolutely. She played to one of my greatest weaknesses: her fear. She never mentioned flashbacks until this morning, but she has mentioned some men look scarier than others – of course, she would cling to my arm on walks rather than actually _saying_ anything, obviously. But I can tell these things. I should have known that what she was doing … it was all a way to try and get rid of Kelsi. And I don't know whether I should be more angry or scared that it worked."

"She's been a wreck since I picked her up this morning," Troy confided. "She kept saying she was sorry for getting in the way but she missed you and she needed you. She said she came to me and Gab because she thought we would help take care of her. Did you know she's been having back pains for two or three days?"

Ryan took a deep breath and tried to suppress the tears that were threatening to fall. "No," he whispered. "I-I had no idea. Damnit," he muttered as he smacked the dash and angrily wiped at his eyes. "God, I don't deserve her, do I?"

Troy wanted to tell him no, that he didn't deserve her. He wanted to make absolutely sure that Ryan understood that _no one_ deserved Kelsi. The small girl – woman – was in a league of her own and, at least in Troy's mind, was too good for _everyone_. He sighed and looked over at the broken and dejected Ryan. _But if anyone came even remotely close …_ "It's not about being deserving," he said finally. "She loves you and I know, aside from your brief lapse in Man Disease, as Taylor would call it, you love her more than anything. You've proven it time and time again." He sighed again before chewing on his lip and admitting, "Gabriella left me to go to her mom's house right before she went into labor. I was working on a big design and she felt like she was breaking my concentration. It took me a hell of a lot longer than five hours to realize she wasn't at home anymore." He paused. "She took me back when she had every reason not to. Kelsi's been crying since she got here this morning." He paused again and took another deep breath. "It's _not_ about being deserving, Ryan. Because neither of us deserve those women. But we both will do everything within our power to make sure they love us as much as we love them."

Ryan nodded solemnly before sliding down further into his seat. He'd been a completely _shitty_ husband lately and he had no idea how to make it up to Kelsi.

--

"Oh, I don't like this at all," Kelsi said as she bit back a scream at the pain rippling through her lower body.

"I know, Kels," Gabriella said softly as she placed a wet rag against the smaller girl's forehead. She then turned and whispered to the nurse, "Seems like she's in a lot more pain than she should be."

"The doctor will be in shortly, Mrs. Bolton," the older woman replied. "But I know what it sounds like …"

"Gah!" Kelsi cried as she gripped her taut stomach. "It hurts!"

"I know, honey," Gabriella whispered as she held onto Kelsi's hand. "But it'll be better soon. And you'll find out the pain is worth it when you get to hold your little girl in your arms."

Kelsi took deep breaths, trying to calm down and get the pain to ebb away. When it lessened enough for her to be slightly more comfortable, she turned to Gabriella with a slight smile. "I'm thinking of naming her Sharpay because she's just as much of a pain in the …"

"Good evening, Mrs. Evans," a young doctor said as he walked into the room. "It appears that you're experiencing a bit more pain than normal. Why don't we have a look and see what's going on?"

"Just tell me where my wife is!" a man yelled from in the hallway.

"Ryan!" she called out. "Ryan, I'm in here!"

"Kelsi," he said breathlessly as he skidded into the room. "Thank God," he continued in a whisper as he went to the bed, took her hand and kissed her fully on the mouth. "I'm so sorry. It'll never happen again. I swear. I love you. I know I don't deserve you but I love you more than anything in the world. Please, please don't ever leave me again."

"I won't," she whispered. "I'm so …" but she trailed off as the pain hit her again. She couldn't help but cry out as she gripped her stomach with one hand and Ryan with the other. "Gah!" she whispered loudly. "Oh, God, it hurts …"

Ryan looked in his wife's eyes and was instantly scared to death. He looked down to the doctor who was disappearing into a place no man but him should ever be allowed to go.

Within seconds the doctor was back out and pulling off her gloves. "Okay, Nurse Helen. Time to go. Get her ready."

"Ready for what?" Ryan asked as Troy walked into the room.

"We're going to go ahead and deliver the baby," the doctor replied. "You must be Mr. Evans. I'm Charlie Hunt. I'll be delivering your daughter."

"She's still three weeks away," Ryan said nervously. "Is that okay?"

"Mr. Evans, I really don't have time to argue with you right now. Your wife and baby will be fine if you allow me to do my job and deliver her. Now."

"What's wrong with her?" Ryan asked. When the Dr. Hunt didn't answer, Ryan took an aggressive step towards him. Troy gripped his shoulder hard enough to immobilize him. "Tell me."

"There's a lot of blood and it looks like the baby's got the cord wrapped around her throat. We're going to do an emergency C-Section just to be sure. Now please, Mr. Evans, let me do my job or there will be bigger issues than your wife's pain."

"Ryan …" Kelsi whispered.

"I'm right here," he said as he turned back to his wife.

"Helen, please go get for 231 B," Dr. Hunt said quietly.

"Why do you need that?" Gabriella asked. "There should be no need …"

"Precautions, Mrs. Bolton," the doctor said as the nurse fled the room.

"We're going to be giving you papers to sign before we can give you the pain killers," Dr. Hunt told Kelsi. "I need you and your husband to make a decision. Now, we don't anticipate any further complications, but these papers basically ask who you'd prefer to take precedent – you, Mrs. Evans, or the baby."

"Precedent?" Ryan asked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"He means if something happens," Gabriella said hotly, "who do you want them to save: Kelsi or the baby?"

_It's an odd feeling_, Ryan thought, _when your heart stops beating_.


	5. 04 Simple Request

"We made the wrong choice," Ryan muttered to himself as he frantically paced in the waiting room. "I shouldn't have even let her see the paper. I should have just done it all myself. There can be other babies but never another Kelsi." He turned to Gabriella, "Is it too late to change my mind? Can I just … override what we said? Please? I can't …" his voice broke as he sat heavily beside his friend. "I can't lose her."

"She'll be fine," Gabriella said soothingly as she ran her fingers through his hair (much like she did with her son). "Everything's going to be okay. I just know it. Right here," she added as she indicated her heart with her free hand. "Kelsi's too strong to let anything happen to her or the baby."

"Hey, guys," Troy said softly as he walked with Hunter back into the room. "Taylor's on the plane now and Chad'll be here tomorrow morning. He's flying in from Seattle after tonight's game."

"And Martha texted and said she'd come tomorrow night. She has a surgery in the morning but can leave after that. She would come immediately but this is the last surgery in her rotation before she moves to Surg Med. And Jason's shooting in Egypt so …"

"It's okay," Ryan said softly. "I don't want to pull them all away from their lives. Mom, Dad and Cal are on their way now. Dad got the jet and sent it to Albuquerque and then it's coming straight here. My parents are coming in commercial from Oahu."

Ryan was trying to calm down (outwardly, at least) but on the inside he was a mess. They wouldn't let him in to stay with Kelsi and he was more than a little nervous at that fact. He'd called Sharpay and told Zeke what was going on but made sure that they would not being coming up under any circumstances. As Ryan thought about the papers he and Kelsi signed, he wondered if she should have stipulated that they come in the event that Kelsi …

He shook his head sharply and wiped at his eyes. He couldn't – wouldn't – think like that. The doctor would be coming out soon and he would say that Kelsi and the baby were fine and smiling and happy. He'd be allowed back to kiss his wife and cradle his daughter and it would all be just a memory.

But it'd been six hours and nothing had changed. He figured Taylor would be there within the hour and he could send Troy and Gabriella home. Hunter had been extraordinarily well behaved and he didn't want them to press their luck on that front.

With another sigh he heaved himself out of his seat and resumed his pacing.

He absurdly wished Roscoe was there with him. He always knew when Ryan needed a cuddle.

"Have you picked out a name for her yet?" Gabriella asked as she placed a sleeping Hunter on a chair and covered him with Troy's jacket.

"I think we're going to name her Cassidy," Ryan replied. "Kelsi just seemed to fall in love with that name when she was thumbing through one of those baby names books. It means clever and curly-haired."

"You know that means she'll have your hair, right?" Troy asked with a smile. "Just so she can be contradictory."

"Actually," Ryan said with a small smile though it really didn't reach his eyes, "if I let my hair grow out it's curly too. So she's got a great chance of living up to the meaning of her name." Ryan's voice had broken on the word _living_ but he somehow held it together. He couldn't allow himself to think it was possible to lose his wife and daughter. He _wouldn't_ lose _either_ of them.

"Ducky?" a quiet voice called from the doorway and Ryan turned to see his mother and father standing there.

He took a deep breath and strode to her before allowing her to wrap him in her embrace. He didn't cry – hadn't allowed himself anything but a few rogue tears – but his breathing was uneven and everyone in the room knew it was a fight. "I need you to tell me that it's all going to work out. I need you to tell me that my wife and daughter are going to be fine. I can't do this without her, Mom. I can't …"

"Mr. Evans?" Dr. Hunt called quietly as he entered the waiting room. "A word, please?"

Every person in the room tried to read the expression on the doctor's face but no one was able to. He was professional – but looked very tired – and didn't slouch or smile. Troy figured it was something they trained a doctor to do whilst in medical school. He vowed to ask Martha when she got there the next evening.

Ryan moved over to a secluded part of the room and spoke in hushed whispers. No one could tell what Dr. Hunt was telling their friend and they couldn't discern whether it was good new or … not good news.

Before any of them could grasp what was happening, Ryan's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the floor. Troy and Vance dove for him and managed to keep his head from smacking the linoleum but Ryan was out cold.

--

After Ryan left Zeke made good on his word. He took a quick shower – he _hated_ airplane funk – and proceeded to get Sharpay ready to go for a nice, long walk. Where he would _finally_ be the one who could do the talking.

"Want to come with us, Roscoe?" Zeke asked the basset hound. When the dog simply laid his head back down on his paws, Zeke shrugged and put the leash away. At that point, Roscoe jumped off the couch and headed to the door. "Oh no," he said. "Ryan warned me about this. If you want to come, you have to come on a leash." Roscoe wagged his tail and let out a whine. "Not gunna work on me, boy," he said with a smirk. "Either you go on your leash or you stay here." The dog petulantly sat by the door but allowed Zeke to put his leash on him. "Stay. I have to go get Shar."

Sharpay was sitting on her bed, a scowl marring her pretty face. _This is bad,_ she thought to herself. _He's here and he's dead set on staying. If he stays for more than two days I'll never be able to let him go._

"Let's go, beautiful. Show me that little park around the corner." She frowned at him and crossed her arms. "You know," he said with a slight smile, "that used to work on me. But right now, I don't care if you want to act like a three year old. We're going for a walk and you're going to listen to everything I have to say. If you behave, I might let you hold my hand. So, let's get going."

She sighed and followed him out, opting to grab Roscoe's leash as opposed to Zeke's hand. _If he wants me to act all lovey-dovey with him he's going to have to work for it._ She sighed and looked over to her companion. He'd changed so much since high school. Sure, he was still fun-loving and happy and sweet … but he seemed to have a bit of an edge to him. She assumed this meant he meant business.

She had no idea how she was going to be able to let him go once Ryan got back.

Zeke walked in silence to the park and directed Sharpay to a bench near a small doggy playground. They let an excited Roscoe off his leash and sat down to watch the parents and children play with the dogs. He absently wondered if Roscoe was fixed.

"So, I know this isn't what you want to hear right now, but I'm going to talk and you're going to listen. You can talk back all you want once you get your voice back." He took a deep breath. "It hurts knowing that I wasn't the first person – after Ryan, of course – that you wanted to call. I thought I was more than just some dirty little well-known secret. I felt like an afterthought, Shar, and I _hated_ it." He took a deep breath before reaching over and taking her hand. "And despite all of that, I am still so in love with you it makes me physically ill. And when Ryan called and asked me to come out? I turned to my co-workers and told them not to hold my place. _You're_ my priority, Sharpay. You have been since you set your first pink-covered foot into the halls of Chelwood Park Junior High. So don't think I'm going to give up on you. I know you want your brother to take care of you but, damnit, let him take care of his wife."

He paused a moment and took a good look at the blonde who was sitting beside him. She didn't look angry or indignant about what he was saying. She actually looked more shocked than anything.

He furrowed his brow before saying slowly, "You can't _not_ know how long I've loved you, Shar," he said softly. "Every single time I tried to catch your attention … and, you know, I told Chad and Jason that I came out about the baking because Troy did … really, it was you. Troy just gave me the opening. I'd been baking things I thought you'd like for _years_. Everything's been for you, Shar. Everything."

She frowned slightly as a silent tear fell down her cheek. She hadn't really taken the time to stop and think _why_ Zeke had always been attentive to her. She chewed on her bottom lip before signing – really signing – _Why do you love me_?

Zeke was a little taken back by the fact that Sharpay was signing. Ryan had told him she'd refused to do so even though both he and Kelsi were about to read at least the minimum of signs.

"Why do I love you?" he asked. When she nodded, he sighed and turned to face her fully. He took her hands and looked into her eyes. "I love you for so many reasons. You're smart, dedicated, beautiful … and you care. You care more than you let anyone know. You always want what's best for the people you care most about … even if you do have kind of a sketchy way of showing it. And you know you're not the easiest person to get along with but you never change; not in the ways that count, at least. How could you ask me why I love you? How could I not?"

Tears were slowly trickling down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around him. She hadn't known that she'd needed the words but she did. She could see now, clear as day, that Zeke loved her – really _loved_ her – and nothing she did would make him stop. And the most startling revelation was that she didn't want him to.

She took a deep breath and pulled away before signing, _Even after what happened? You'd still want to be with me?_

Zeke traced a gentle hand over the fading bruise on her cheek with a slight frown. "What he did to you was awful, Shar. And I know, no matter what _anyone_ says, that you weren't _asking for it_. Yes, you were interested in this guy. But that was from the car. I know you, Sharpay. And I know that despite the public face you put on, I'm the only one you've ever been with."

_How?_ she signed. _How do you know that?_

"Because I know _you_," he whispered. "Because I know all of you friends out here are all about who can hook up with whom. I read magazines. I watch television. I've seen all your little girlfriends out with dozens of guys. I've never seen _one_ picture or news clip that even _hinted_ you were doing that." He paused and closed his eyes for a moment. "I remember every single word you said to me the first time we made love, Sharpay. Every single word. And I know you weren't lying."

_I wasn't_, she replied.

"Good," he smiled. "So, are you ready to talk about it?"

_How about with the counselor the doctor suggested?_

"That's fine," he said as he pulled her into a gentle hug. "Just so long as you talk to _someone_."

She smiled slightly and signed,_ I should probably apologize to Ryan and Kelsi._

"You definitely should. You should just wait until we're sure she's going to take him back."

She stared at him for a long moment and he was getting confused. She had this cute little look on her face – like she was trying to figure out an advanced trigonometry question – and then she directed his eyes to her face before taking a deep breath and signing,_ I love you more than I ever thought possible_.

Zeke thought that would be a safe moment to kiss her.

Several hours later they slowly walked home hand in hand, Roscoe trailing behind them happily. Almost as soon as they got in Ryan called.

"Hey, Ry. How's it going?"

"_Kelsi went into labor_," he said shakily. "_And they're saying there can be major complications. We … they made us sign a form, Zeke. It was the scariest piece of paper I've ever had to read_."

"What was it about?" he asked as he motioned for Sharpay to sit down.

"_In the event that both of their lives are in danger, we had to pick which one the doctors would work on: Kelsi or the baby. We … she made …"_ he took a deep breath. _"Kelsi said they should save the baby and she told me to sign the paper and then they rushed her off. I didn't … I didn't get to say goodbye_," he finally whispered.

"We're on our way," Zeke said strongly.

"_No! No, you guys stay there. Shar's seen enough hospitals for now."_

"Ryan …"

"_No, it's … Troy and Gabriella are here and I think they called Martha and Taylor. And Chad, I think. And my parents and Kelsi's dad are coming too. I just … don't come up. We'll see you soon enough. And … and I'll keep you updated_."

"Be strong, Ryan. Just like your wife and daughter. Everything's going to be fine," Zeke said with more conviction than he felt.

"_Right_," Ryan whispered. "_Tell Sharpay I love her_."

Zeke disconnected the phone and turned to Sharpay with a devastated look on his face.

_What is it?_

"Kelsi," he whispered. "She went into labor and there have been major complications. They took precautions and made Ryan sign a form … well, both of them had to sign it … but it was basically a form that asked whether they wanted Kelsi or the baby to be saved if it came down to it. They … they made Kelsi a DNR and said to save the baby. Ryan's really broken up."

_Let's go_.

Zeke shook his head. "He wants us to stay here. He'll update us when he finds something out."

Sharpay had never felt guiltier in her life.

--

Moments later Ryan smelled something sickening and he opened his eyes, clearly disoriented. "Wha …?"

"Mr. Evans, how are you feeling?" Dr. Hunt asked.

"I'm okay …" he said as he shook his head. "Wh-what happened?"

"You fainted," Troy said gently as he knelt beside his friend.

"Because of what Doctor Hunt said," Ryan nodded as he allowed the men to help him to his feet. "Did you tell them?"

"Figured you'd want to do it, Dad."

Ryan smiled softly before turning to the assembled group. "We have a little girl. Healthy. Born about twenty minutes ago. Lungs like Shar, apparently. A little small … five pounds, six ounces. Seventeen inches."

"And her mother?" Vance asked slowly as he wrapped a comforting arm around his own wife.

"Feeding her as we speak," Ryan said as his resolve finally – _finally_ – crumbled and he allowed Troy, of all people, to wrap him in his arms. "She's alive and okay," he whispered as he clung to the man's shirt. "She did it. She made it. She's going to be okay …"

"Hey, hey …" Troy said in a quiet voice as he held Ryan's head to his chest. "Calm down. You don't want to be a mess when you go in and see you wife and meet your daughter, do you? Just take deep breaths. That's right … That's good …"

Gabriella came over and took Ryan from Troy's arms. She hugged him tight before allowing his mother and father to envelope him in a bigger hug. She could hear Ryan's sobs as he clung to his parents like a wounded child.

Dr. Hunt came and placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder before handing him the mask, hat and apron. "C'mon, Dad. Time to go meet your daughter."

"Please fill Cal in if he gets here before I come out. And I'll let you know when it's safe to come in. I'm just going to …"

"Go," Darby whispered.

Ryan nodded and put on the required accessories before following Dr. Hunt back into Kelsi's room. He took a deep breath before opening the door and going inside.

"Nice hat," Kelsi whispered as she held their baby to her breast.

"You're the most amazing and beautiful woman in the world," he replied just as quietly as he made his way over to the bed. "Thank you so much …"

"You helped," she said with a smile.

"I mean for not dying. I wouldn't have been able to live without you."

"Ryan …" she whispered but at that moment, the baby decided she wasn't hungry anymore. Kelsi rubbed her back and she spit up a little before the new mother adjusted her gown and cradled the baby. "Want to meet your Daddy?" she asked in a sing-song voice before slowly handing her to Ryan.

"She's beautiful," Ryan whispered as he looked down onto his daughter's curly-blonde hair.

"So, are we going with Cassidy?" Kelsi asked as she watched her husband hold their daughter.

"Cassidy Hope," Ryan responded as he placed a gentle kiss on her head.

"It's perfect," his wife replied. "Can I have a kiss?"

"You can have every kiss I have … except for the ones I'm giving my little angel …" he replied as he slowly leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. "I'm so proud of you …"

"I love you."

"I love you too," he smiled. "Both of you. My girls …" He paused for a moment and then couldn't help himself. "_I got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside I go the month of May," _he sang. "_I guess you'd say … what can make me feel this way? My girl …_"

"You're such a dork," Kelsi laughed.


	6. 05 Simple Request

Kelsi and Cassidy were released a little less than a week later. They immediately headed for Albuquerque so they could set up the new house. Darby and Vance made sure to be there every step of the way and Gabriella took time off from her firm to head back and help as well. After Troy finished his new design for a more modern hospital, he took the month's vacation and returned to the city he grew up in.

Chad came back after his team won the NBA Championship.

Taylor came back to stay – she was going to run for State Representative.

Zeke called his master chef in Philadelphia two days after his vacation ran out and told the older man that he'd received a better offer: Sharpay Evans' personal chef. He'd returned to Philly for two days to pack and then moved his things out to LA.

Sharpay herself got good news as well. Mere hours after Cassidy was born, Sharpay's doctor called and said the newest test results indicated that she would naturally get her voice back. They didn't know how long it would take – weeks or months – but she _would_ speak in her own voice again. The downside was she would never sing again.

She figured that was the end of her Broadway dreams. But she was certain, after working with a vocal therapist, she would be able to audition for movies again.

Now, nearly a year later, they were _all_ gathered in Albuquerque for Cassidy's first birthday.

Chad was brining Madeline along, thank goodness, and was planning on proposing to her. He just had to promise to _stop being so jealous_ when other men hit on her. But it was _hard_. He was an NBA All-Star and the garbage man ("Municipal Waste Engineer" Maddie would reprimand) thought he could get with her.

_Yeah, right_, he scoffed to himself nearly every day.

Taylor's election was coming up fast but she still took the time to swing by to wish Little Miss Cassidy a happy first birthday. She couldn't stay long, of course, but there were camera crews and photographers and Ryan imagined his baby would be on the cover of the Albuquerque Journal in the morning.

Jason sent a video from Cairo – he really enjoyed shooting in the desert – because he couldn't be there to see his friends for their little girl's birthday.

Martha was there but got a phone call that she was needed back in Austin ASAP. She quickly kissed Ryan, Kelsi and the baby before racing to the airport.

Sharpay and Zeke were there as well, happy as ever, and the baker had just announced that he would be opening his own small bakery back in LA. Sharpay had smiled and kissed him on the cheek before announcing that she'd just gotten cast in a new SitCom about the ins and outs of dating within the celebrity circuit.

"Any singing?" Ryan asked with a smirk.

"Shut up, Ry," she responded with a flip of her hair. "Just because I can't sing anymore …"

"You still sing very well, honey," Zeke said consolingly. "You're just not supposed to."

"Well, yeah. Okay," she responded with a slight pout.

"I hear you're in the running for a voice-job on a new Disney movie," Kelsi said as she carried Cassidy over to the bickering group.

"Yup," Sharpay replied happily as she took the baby from Kelsi's arms. "You wanna hear Aunty Shar in a movie?" she asked the smiling little girl.

"Shar!" the curly-haired blonde screamed before gripping her aunt's hair and giving a mighty tug.

"Right," Sharpay laughed with a wince. "Ryan?"

Her twin brother shook his head before taking the baby from his sister. "Troy and Gabriella should be here soon. Apparently, Hunter decided he had to go potty every twenty miles or so and they still can't get him peacefully on a plane. So, while we're waiting, why don't we do present?"

"Yay!" Cassidy screamed.

All the adults laughed as they gathered around the little girl. "Da?" she asked as she held up a little pink box.

"Okay, little one. Da'll help you." The little girl smiled at him – _Kelsi's smile_ – and ripped into the bright pink box. Inside was a small necklace with her name in cursive between the chain links. "Wow, Shar, it's beautiful."

"Nothing but the best for our little Cassie," she said with a smile. "The big one if from us too …"

Ryan stood his daughter up and allowed her to rip into an Easy Bake Oven. "Uhh …"

"Vintage, I know," Zeke said, "and a bit too old for her … but it's a collector now and I just wanted to make sure she had one …"

"It's perfect," Kelsi smiled.

Maddie then handed Cassidy the gift she and Chad got the little girl. There were tons of different outfits in there and then a smaller box. Cassidy looked up at them in confusion before Chad scooted over and whispered for her to take it to Aunt Maddie. The little girl gave him another look but toddled over and held the box out to her.

"Chad? What's this?" she asked.

"Open it," he told the redhead with a smile before kneeling behind Cassidy and looking up at her.

"Oh my …"

"I figured if I had the baby give it to you there was little chance of you turning me down," he said lowly. "I love you, Mads. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone or anything. Basketball included. So," he said as he took a deep breath. "Madeline Fitzgerald, will you marry me?"

Maddie stared at him for a long moment before dropping to her knees. "Of course I will," she whispered before pressing her lips against his.

"Ewww!" Cassidy cried out before toddling back to her presents.

The gathered adults laughed as Maddie and Chad kissed again.

"Well, since there's nothing for Cassidy to open from Kelsi and me, we'll tell you that we're taking her to Disney Land in a couple of months. Mom and Dad are paying for the hotel, so that's their gift, as well as coming along. And Cal's coming too. He got Cassie gift certificate for Toys R Us as well."

"And I actually have a gift for Ryan _and_ Cassidy," Kelsi said as she pulled a rectangular box from behind her back. "Let Da open that one, baby. It could be a little sharp." Cassidy went to frown but Kelsi arched a brow and the little girl settled into her father and gave him a look that told him to hurry up.

"Dang," Chad laughed. "She's got a lot of Evans in her …"

"You have no idea," Kelsi mumbled. "Now open it."

Ryan shot his wife a confused look. It was a picture that was taken just two days ago … Cassidy was hugging her mother around the waist and her little head was resting on her stomach. He was standing behind the couch his girls were resting on; Roscoe was on the floor in front of them. Ryan looks at Maddie – the one who took the picture – and she shrugged.

"This is nice, Kels …" Ryan said uncertainly. "But, uh, we have _lots_ of family pictures …"

"I know that, Ryan, but this one has the _whole_ family in it."

"We have a lot of pictures with …" he trailed off, his eyes scrunching, clearly not understanding where his wife was going with this.

"Cassidy, baby, Mommy gave you this picture because it's the first one of you and your little brother or sister," Kelsi said in a sweet voice.

Everyone promptly turned to Kelsi, who was smiling and hugging the baby to her, and then to Ryan.

"All right, Evans!" Chad shouted in glee. "That's two, man! Maybe you'll have twins and _finally_ beat out Troy and Gabriella!"

"Baby?" Ryan whispered.

"In about seven months or so," his wife replied with a serene smile.

"Maddie, watch the kid, I need to go speak with my wife."

"Right," Zeke laughed. "Because I'm sure you'll be _speaking_."

"Use of lips counts!" Ryan laughed before pulling Kelsi into the house and shutting the blinds.

Everyone stood in stunned silence, simply staring at the closed doors.

"Eww!" Cassidy called out before crawling over to Sharpay and holding up her arms. "Shar!"

"Right," the older blonde said with a smile. "Let's you and me talk about the benefits of having a younger sibling. The best part is … you're the boss …"

**=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=**

**A/N: And that's all. DC, hope this lived up to your expectations.**

**My next story is going to be a Ryelsi and Chad/OC. I have two ideas for who to make the OC – one would be Troy's sister, the other … not. I will **_**not**_** allow her to be Sue-ized. Let me know which you think it should be. It'll be set AU (for the purposes of Chad/OC) Senior Year. **


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